The mission of the proposed Geriatric Research and Training Center at The University of Michigan (UM) is to strengthen the environment for training of future academic leaders in Geriatrics, to attract junior faculty to participate in Geriatrics research and research training, to enhance the productivity of currently funded faculty who are involved in Geriatrics research, and to stimulate multidisciplinary research of important health care problems of the elderly. The Center involves approximately 80 faculty members from multiple UM departments, institutes an schools who have made substantial commitments to the study of important health problems of the elderly. The GRTC will emphasize certain areas of research which transcend traditional disciplinary lines an are particularly amenable to a multidisciplinary approach. Four specific research areas were chosen based upon existing UM research and training strengths an opportunities for future growth. These research and training emphasis areas are Impaired Homeostasis; Brain Disorders; Impaired Mobility; and Health and Well Being. The GRTC will foster collaborative multidisciplinary research attempting to integrate basic science, clinical science and health services research in each area. A key component of the GRTC will be the Research Development Core which will focus on research training for promising academic leaders in Geriatrics and in aging research. Several research cores are proposed to help accomplish the emission of the GRTC. These include a Human Subjects Core, a Core Facility for Aging Rodents, a Biomechanics Core, a Data Analysis and Management Core, and Molecular Biology Core. The proposed GRTC will be a key component of the UM Geriatrics Center, which was established by the University Regents in 1987. The GRTC will interact closely with the UM Institute of Gerontology, which has a rich tradition of academic research an training in aging since its establishment in 1965. The existing research strengths of UM faculty in health problems of the elderly, the UM's commitment to Geriatrics program development, and the outstanding record of research training in aging and Geriatrics at the UM make for an ideal environment in which to establish one of the first Geriatric Research and Training Centers in the country.